Alfred Bishop was born on 25 March 1882 at Freemantle, Southampton, the son of William Bishop and his wife Jane (née Squire).  It appears that his mother subsequently remarried and the 1891 census records her at Millbrook, South Stoneham, married to a William Jones, gardener, with four children: William (11), Alfred (9), Elizabeth (6) and Harry (5) all of whom have the surname Bishop.

Alfred joined the Royal Navy at HMS St VINCENT in December 1898 as a Boy Seaman, was rated Able Seaman in September 1901, and subsequently trained as a Torpedoman, serving in the pre-dreadnought battleship HMS DUNCAN, the destroyer depot ship HMS HECLA, and the protected cruiser HMS SAPPHIRE.  In August 1909 he was drafted to the submarine depot ship HMS MERCURY, and subsequently to depot ships BONAVENTURE, ARROGANT, DOLPHIN, FORTH and MAIDSTONE although no details exist of particular submarines. He was rated Leading Seaman in February 1913.

In July 1914 he completed five years’ service in submarines and returned to General Service, being drafted to the pre-dreadnought battleship HMS BULWARK. He was killed on 26 November 1914 when HMS BULWARK suffered an internal explosion whilst moored at Sheerness. The explosion was thought to have been caused by cordite charges overheating after being placed next to an engine room bulkhead. Only a dozen men survived from a crew of over 700. Alfred Bishop left a widow, Ethel, whom he had married in 1910.

He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.